Getting free advice and financial help has never been easier though it may not solve all your problems. This past year has seen a dramatic increase of searches online for free financial help and advice. Search terms like "I Need Financial Help Now" and "Urgent Financial Help" break your heart as you realize many many people out there are hurting and in desperate need of some kind of relief.
This article is intended to get you started on your search for finding the right type of financial help for you. You may need help with debt consolidation, credit card consolidation, refinancing your mortgages or discovering a way to may your money go further. Everyone's financial needs are different.
The one word of warning is that there are those who are poised to profit from people's pain. So arm yourself with knowledge before you seek any financial advice or help from those who charge for there services. Here is a list of ideas that you would be wise to exhaust all the free sources for financial help in your immediate community and online before seeking professional services.
1. Obviously the internet is the first place to start with all the various online articles and websites that give free advice or snippets of advice. Begin your search with the precise keywords of the issues you may need help with from debt consolidation to financial aid, financial grants, federal help with finances and so forth. Take note of everything you learn and the resources that are available to you.
2. Search your local newspaper for any community groups or state agencies that offer free advice from budgeting to financial counseling and make appointments to go see them. Again, exhaust your resources for the free financial help that is available to you.
3. Visit your local library or Citizens Advice Bureau and look at the community notice board for any free seminars, free brochures and resources. They may also have resources of other agencies that are helping people through financial crisis.
Preparing to Get Financial Help
Here are two ways you can help yourself with getting financially sorted as well.
When it comes to bill payments, it is very difficult to manage if you have bills coming out at various times of the month and especially if they are not geared to your paycheck timing. If you get a spreadsheet together or even a math book (if you don't have the software) and schedule your bill payments. Make a column for the creditor (company you will pay, including credit companies and bank loans), date the bills is due, the average amount due, the name of the contact person and the phone number.
Once you have done this call each and everyone of them and negotiate for the bills to be dated on either the same day every month or within the same week. This makes for much better money management and it also saves you a lot of time. This is actually the best type of financial help you could give yourself.
The second thing you can do to help yourself is read Your Credit Card Statements. Check the interest rate every single month. Look of over-payments of funny fees and claim them back in needed. If you can't manage your minimums or are struggling to bring down your principle look to consolidate by shifting over to another credit card company offering lower interest for those transferring their balance. You may wish to do this several times if you have larger balances. In this way you could get paid down a lot faster with a lot less stress.
One last word of advice. If after you have exhausted all avenues of financial help websites and agencies and will need to go to a professional financial adviser, always get several free quotes. Prices for these type of services vary greatly and you want to know what you are getting for your money and then compare to get the best possible financial help without it costing more than it should. Knowledge is power so get financially educated so no one can rip you off.
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